mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Bypassing the CSI Bottleneck: MARL-Driven Spatial Control for Reflector Arrays

arXiv 2604.05162 ↗First posted 6 Apr 2026cs.AI eess.SPcited by 0

Not on the map. Why?

Abstract (arXiv)

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) are pivotal for next-generation smart radio environments, yet their practical deployment is severely bottlenecked by the intractable computational overhead of Channel State Information (CSI) estimation. To bypass this fundamental physical-layer barrier, we propose an AI-native, data-driven paradigm that replaces complex channel modeling with spatial intelligence. This paper presents a fully autonomous Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) framework to control mechanically adjustable metallic reflector arrays. By mapping high-dimensional mechanical constraints to a reduced-order virtual focal point space, we deploy a Centralized Training with Decentralized Execution (CTDE) architecture. Using Multi-Agent Proximal Policy Optimization (MAPPO), our decentralized agents learn cooperative beam-focusing strategies relying on user coordinates, achieving CSI-free operation. High-fidelity ray-tracing simulations in dynamic non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments demonstrate that this multi-agent approach rapidly adapts to user mobility, yielding up to a 26.86 dB enhancement over static flat reflectors and outperforming single-agent and hardware-constrained DRL baselines in both spatial selectivity and temporal stability. Crucially, the learned policies exhibit good deployment resilience, sustaining stable signal coverage even under 1.0-meter localization noise. These results validate the efficacy of MARL-driven spatial abstractions as a scalable, highly practical pathway toward AI-empowered wireless networks.

Key facts. No citing papers in the map yet (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 13 of its 17 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 6 Apr 2026.

Builds on

13 of 17 references.

References · 13

  1. 2021The Surprising Effectiveness of PPO in Cooperative, Multi-Agent Gamescited by 903
  2. 2018Fully Decentralized Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Networked Agentscited by 189
  3. 2020Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Assisted Multiuser MISO Systems Exploiting Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 38
  4. 2024Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Assisted VEC Based on Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learningcited by 11
  5. 2019Two-Timescale Channel Estimation for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Aided Wireless Communicationscited by 8
  6. 2021An Overview of Signal Processing Techniques for RIS/IRS-aided Wireless Systemscited by 8
  7. 2019Coverage Enhancement for NLOS mmWave Links Using Passive Reflectorscited by 4
  8. 2021Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces: A Signal Processing Perspective With Wireless Applicationscited by 4
  9. 2024A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach for Autonomous Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfacescited by 3
  10. 2024Insight Gained from Migrating a Machine Learning Model to Intelligence Processing Unitscited by 3
  11. 2024Guiding Wireless Signals with Arrays of Metallic Linear Fresnel Reflectors: A Low-cost, Frequency-versatile, and Practical Approachcited by 3
  12. 2025Signal Whisperers: Enhancing Wireless Reception Using DRL-Guided Reflector Arrayscited by 3
1 more
  1. 2021Practical Channel Estimation and Phase Shift Design for Intelligent Reflecting Surface Empowered MIMO Systemscited by 2

Built on by

Not cited yet.